Holi Celebration

Celebrating colours! Shikshantar celebrated Holi, the festival of colours to mark the onset of spring. As they gathered in their festively decorated spaces, they sang songs like ‘आई होली’ and ‘The Colour Song’.

The children explored a sensory path that displayed a progression of their work from Classes I to IV. A culmination of art experiences woven around the exploration of colours took the children from free expression with a chosen colour to creative write-ups on the significance of colours and how they identified with them.

The facilitators narrated stories like ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ and ‘रंगों की तकरार to encourage unity and inclusivity. Within their art and music corners, they sang and danced to ‘ओ रे गृहोबाशी ’ and ’फागुन आयो ’. The children reflected on the reasons they celebrate Holi. Some spoke of the changing seasons with winter fading away, some recounted the Hindu myth of Prahlad and Holika and another child suggested that the festival was about the triumph of goodness within us.

As a community outreach initiative, the older students also welcomed children from a neighbouring school to share in the joys of the festival. Together, they prepared coconut laddoos, created festive greeting cards using origami techniques and made natural colours for Holi using simple, eco-friendly materials. Taking the effort of explaining each step, they supported their younger peers and ensured that everyone felt at ease.

Through these experiences, the children developed empathy, kindness and a growing sense of social responsibility.